The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-11-03


Number Eleven; he could not bear to
look around and see the nine devouring
the corn-meal so hunsrily. Perhaps
McGrath could not, and certainly he
would nct,-he was so obstinate,-
have told why he felt so reproached
by the scene. He had felt very guilty
for many weeks.
Twenty, yes. q hundred, times a
day he looked in q dazed way at his
big hands, and they reproached him
too that they had no work.
"Where is our smooth, broad.axe
handler" asked the fingers, land why
do not the wild. chips tly?"
He was ashamed too, every time he
rose up. so tall and strong, with moth
ing to do, and eleven children and his
wife next door to starvation, but if
he had been asked to describe his feel
ings, he would merely have growled
out angrily something against old
John Pontiac.
''You'll take your sup now, Peter?"
asked Mrs. McGrath, offering him the
biggest of the yellow bowls. He look.
ed up then. first at her forlorn face,
then at the pot. Number Nine was
diligently scraping off some streaks OF
mush that had run down the outside;
Numbers Eight, Seven, Six and Five
were looking respectfully into the pot;
Numbers -Four, Three, Two and One
were watching the pot, the steaming
bowl, and their father at the same
time. Peter McGrath was very hum
gry:,
"Yourself had better eat, Mary
Ann" he said. "1'll be having mine
after it's cooler"
Mrs. McGrath dipped more than a.
third of the bowlful back into the pot,
and ate the rest with much satisfac-
ton. The numerals watched her anx-
iously but resignedly.
'.sure It'll be cold entirely, Peter
DEAR" she said, "and the warmth IS
80 comforting. Give me little Norah
now, the darlint! and be after eating
your supper"
She had ladled out the last of the
mush, and the pot was being scraped
inside earnestly by Nine. Eight, Seven
and Six. Peter took the bowl, and
looked at his children.
The earlier number were observing
him with peculiar sympathy, putting
themselves in his place, as it were,
possessing the bowlful in Imagination;
the others now moved their spoons
absent-mindedly around IN the pot,
brought them empty to their mouths,
mechanically, now and again, sucked
them more or less. and still stared
steadily at their father.
His inner walls felt glued together,
yet indescribably hollow; the smell Of
the mush went up into his nostrils.
and pungentiy provoked his palate
and throat. He was furnishing.
"Troth, then, Mary Ann" he said,
"there's no hunger in me tonight.
Sure, wish the childer wouldn't lenve
then, all of ye."
The nine came promptly to his call.
There were just twenty-five large
spoonfuls in the bowl; each child re-
ceived two; the remaining four went
to the four youngest. Then the bowl
was skilfully scraped by Number Nine,
after which Number Seven took it,
whirled a cup of water artfully round
it's interior, and with this put a fine
finish on his meal.
Peter McGrath then searched
thoughtfully in his trousers pockets,
turning their corners up, getting
| pinches of dust out of their remotest
recesses; he put his blouse pocket
through a similar process. He found
no pockets in his well-patched over
coat when he took it down, but pu~-
sued the dust into its lining, and sepa-
rated it carefully from little dabs OF
wool. Then he put the collection in
to an extremely old, black clay pipe,
lifted q coal in with his fingers, and
took his supper.
1t would be absurd to assert that,
be so poor as Peter, unless he had done
something very wrong or very foolish.
Peter McGrath was, in truth. out OF
work because he had committed an
Outrage on Economics. He had been
guilty of the enormous error Of misun-
derstanding, and trying to set at
naught in his own person, th immuta-
bic law of Supply and Demand.
| FancyinQ that g. tirst.class newer in
a timber shanty had an inalienable
right to receive 1T least thirty dollars
month. when the Demand was only
strong enough to yield him twenty.
two dollars q month, Peter had refus-
ed to engage at the beginning of the
winter.
"Now, Mr.. McGrath, you're making
a mistake" said his usual employer,
old John Pontiac. "l'm Offering YOU
the best wages going, mind that.
There's mighty little squared timber
coming out this winter"
Ppm ready and willing to work,
boss, but I'm fit to arm thirty dollars,
surely"
$50 you are. so you are, in good
times, neiRhbor, and I'd be glad il
mems wages were forty. That could
only be'with trade active, and fine
season for all of US; but l couldn't
take out q raft this winter, and pay
what you ask"
"rd work extra hard. I'm not
ateard of work."
"Not YOU. Peter. There never va